Monday, January 24, 2011

I don't know about you, but as a blogger, I've definitely had my lonely days. You know, the ones where people don't really comment, and you wonder if anyone is even reading your blog, and what the point is to posting on it.

So I have a new motto:

5 comments a day keeps blogger loneliness away!

And a new goal:

To comment on at least 5 blogs a day.

That way, instead of being lonely on my own blog, I can go keep others company on theirs! In the past I've tried to be a good commenter and supporter of others, but now I'm going to make a concerted effort to meet this goal each day.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

I first read the word "lovey" in one of my favorite baby books of all time, "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff (most people have read her other one, "What to Expect When You're Expecting").

Basically, a lovey is some sort of stuffed animal or blanket that acts as a security object. Even if your child is in an unfamiliar place, they feel comforted by the presence of their "lovey."

I'll never . . .

I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much I used to judge parents. I must have said "When I'm a parent, I'll never . . ." at least a million times (in my head, of course!). And then, of course, I found myself doing the exact same thing I was sure I'd never do. The lovey is a prime example. I never wanted Kate to have one because I didn't want it to be a big issue if it ever got lost, or damaged and I didn't want to go through the hassle of "detaching" Kate from it.

Giving In

But several months after saying "I'll never," Kate went through a stage of screaming every time I put her down for a nap or bed. I found myself desperate. And, on a whim, I grabbed her little bunny, put it in the crib, and asked, "Kate, do you want to go night-night with bunny?" All of the sudden Kate was wriggling out of my arms, trying to get in her crib. And it was so nice.

Besides that, I found that she slept a lot better in her pack 'n play when we weren't at home if she had her blanky (yes, now we have two loveys!) and bunny.

Sigh

So, here I am, breaking the rules I set for myself because they make Kate happy for now. And that's what motherhood is often about - surviving the now.

Any thoughts on giving your child a lovey?

Side note: The book also recommends having a duplicate lovey - you know, just in case you lose one, as with my fear.

Monday, January 17, 2011

About 4 months ago it was round one of me vs. the bottle. The battle was trying to get Kate to take it as I weaned her from breastfeeding. And since Kate was born quite strong-willed, it was no easy task. It took about 5 straight days of crying, screaming, and tantrums before she took the bottle happily and recognized it as her new food source. After those 5 days, I emerged from the boxing ring victorious.

Now she's been happily taking the bottle for over 4 months . . . and Kate's not very happy about giving it up. So, once more, so once again I'm stepping into the ring. Only this time she's older, and even more strong willed. And I'm not even sure where to start. Do I do the change gradually? Do we try it cold turkey? And how does the change from formula to whole milk fit into this whole picture? Which change do I make first?

The moral of the story is this: I'm not ready for a one-year-old! I need to read more and talk to more experienced mothers. So if you're reading this, I'd greatly appreciate your help! Throw in your 2 cents! :)

Friday, January 14, 2011

On this very day one year ago, I went into labor. Yes, my water broke at midnight, right as I was going to bed. I was unprepared, still planning to teach school the next day. Instead, I showered at 2 am, wrote emails about my lesson plans to fellow teachers at 3 am, tried to wake Dave up at 4 am, went to breakfast at Denny's at around 5:30 am (I wanted to get in one last meal!) and was admitted into the hospital a little before 7 am!

And then, after a long day of labor, Kate entered our lives at 8:45 pm!

Kate Alison Kimball

6 lbs 8 oz, 8:45 pm, January 15, 2010

The proud parents!

I was proud.

And so excited.

And very overwhelmed.

I experienced awe, amazement, and wonder.

And I was clueless.

One year later, I feel like I've learned a lot. Maybe more in this year than in any other year of my life. And I'll be summing up a lot of that soon . . . but in the meantime I just wanted to say,

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Tonight Dave and I went out on the town . . . and we had a wonderful time - I'll expound and share some pictures soon, maybe when it's not so late! But I have to say, that's one nice thing about being a parent - you definitely enjoy your time out a lot more than you did before. Someday I'm going to write a book about all the things that I didn't appreciate enough before parenthood. And the last line of it will be . . .